Helping elders remember their old good memories-How does it help?

Most of the time, we are looking out for ways to boost physical health and stamina of our aged parents and elders at home. Well, this proactive and preventive approach is an excellent initiative. Really! But it is equally important not to undermine the significance of protecting their mental health. The good news is that it may be done in seemingly simple yet effective ways with astounding results! Now, aren’t you curious to know more?

Well, here it is: you can help your beloved elders remember their past days and improve their mental stature remarkably. Old memories of seniors are hidden treasures indeed.

 Reminiscing good memories for seniors can have numerous positive impacts on aging. Infact, American Psychological Association recommends this therapeutic approach by using a combination of written and oral life histories to enhance psychological well-being. Besides old photos and albums, social media for seniors can be a great information source of past life. However, most elders may require some assistance for utilizing this. Healthabove60, a highly preferred partner in elderly care for seniors, provides exclusive homecare services that holistically address all such needs.

 Apart from daily activity assistance and management of healthcare needs, the well-trained and experienced Healthabove60 staff can provide guidance and support on the usage of various technology tools for seniors. Their helping hands may be used by elders for retrieving digitized content such as old photos and online videos, listening to favourite old melodies or watching childhood films.  Let us now understand how these good old memories are beneficial in elderly lives.

 Benefits of Reminiscing

·  Preserves family traditions: By recounting their past days with their families, elders can share many meaningful insights of their experiences and learning which the younger generation is totally oblivious of. It also creates a better bonding between the two as they will be able to understand each other better.

·   Improves quality of life: Recollecting the past, particularly the brighter days, elevates the moods of elders and makes them happier and cheerful. The various thresholds they have achieved create a strong foundation for facing the future challenges of aging better.

·    Decreases anxiety and depression: Reflecting on their lives provide great satisfaction in their old age. It substantially improves self-esteem as elders glance through their previous achievements and accomplishments. It is also a good means of distracting them from prevailing health conditions, financial problems and loneliness.

·    Improves physical health: Research reveals that recalling past events have a positive effect on the body. It is known to reduce blood pressure and lower heart rates by its calming effects.

·   Helps in resolving conflicts: Pondering over the previous learning can help in establishing a mature understanding of the prevailing situations. It helps elders to contemplate and cope up better in the present life and live peacefully.

· Evades boredom: Talking about the past allows elders to relive their youthful days. This is particularly beneficial when they are sick, immobile or confined at home due to pandemics like the coronavirus. The old pleasant memories bring back smiles on their faces. This joy gets doubled when shared with the people around them.  After all, laughter and merry-making though contagious, is the best medicine right?

· Enhances communication skills: Remembering past life ignites the memory of elders while simultaneously involving the emotional quotient. That creates new pathways in the brains for communication. It also provides an opportunity for seniors to make meaningful interactions.

·  Boosts self-esteem: Connecting with the past helps to recreate a meaningful purpose of life and reaffirm important feelings. It is also beneficial for reflecting on the success stories for boosting self-esteem.

·   Acts as good stress-buster: Recollecting and sharing memories indirectly help to reveal hidden emotions and resolve old conflicts. It even helps to deal with negative feelings. Both these aspects are crucial for reducing stress levels. Additionally, good sleep and exercises for seniors reduce stress. Rather, a combination of these two good habits coupled with past recollection activities can work wonders on them.

 

So, encourage elders in doing simple exercises like walking, gardening and chair yoga.  Some sleep tips for seniors worthy of mentioning here include remaining physically active throughout the day, having a light dinner, avoiding usage of caffeine and electronic gadgets ahead of bedtime and of course, last but not the least, recalling pleasant memories before sleeping.

 

Thus, remembering the good old memories certainly fosters elderly health as they happily relive the precious moments of their youthful days!